Head of Cyber Defence Centre

• Job Title
• Head of Cyber Defence Centre
• Location
• Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, or London
• Salary
• £126,523 - £148,850 (outside London) or £146,591 - £172,460 (London)
• Hours & Working Pattern

Full‑time (35 Hours). Hybrid: at least two days per week, or 40% of time at office.

Responsibilities

• Lead an engineering‑first Cyber Defence Lab responsible for designing, building and operating resilient, large‑scale security capabilities that protect the UK’s largest digital bank.
• Provide strategic direction for cyber defence, detection engineering, threat hunting and incident response.
• Drive continuous improvement across security operations platforms, tooling and processes.
• Lead a high‑performing team, strengthening operational resilience and coordinating effective response to cyber threats and incidents.
• Champion a threat‑led approach to defence and help shape a world‑class security operation that enables the Group to go faster, safely.

Qualifications

• Deep technical understanding of cyber defence, security operations, detection engineering and incident response.
• Proven experience leading and enhancing security operations across complex enterprise environments.
• Strong security operations management experience, including Continuous Detection and Continuous Response capabilities.
• Demonstrated leadership of large‑scale incident response, threat hunting and advanced detection engineering functions.
• Ability to shape strategic direction and lead cross‑functional teams toward common outcomes.
• Strong understanding of cyber threats and threat‑led defence strategies.
• Experience managing operational risk and collaborating with senior business and technology stakeholders.
• Track record of building, developing and leading high‑performing teams.
• Ability to drive operational improvements, cultural change and organisational transformation.
• Strong customer focus with a commitment to delivering secure customer outcomes.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate technical issues into clear business priorities and decisions.
• A collaborative, inclusive leadership style with high levels of integrity and accountability.
• Preferred
• Experience leading large‑scale security operations within a highly regulated environment.
• Experience driving enterprise‑wide security transformation programmes.
• Strong understanding of modern security operations platforms, tooling and automation capabilities.
• Experience shaping engineering‑led security operating models.
• Knowledge of industry‑leading security resilience, detection and response practices.
• Experience fostering cultures of innovation, continuous learning and operational excellence.
• Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

We are committed to creating an environment in which everyone can thrive, learn and develop.

We offer reasonable workplace adjustments for colleagues with disabilities, including flexibility in office attendance, location and working patterns.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee interviews for a proportionate number of applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role and have a disability, long‑term health or neurodivergent condition, through the Disability Confident Scheme.

Benefits

• A generous pension contribution of up to 15%.
• Annual bonus award, subject to Group performance.
• Share schemes including free shares.
• Discounted shopping.
• 30 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays.
• A range of wellbeing initiatives and generous parental leave policies.
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